Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 32

Revenge Comes with Interest 32. Come to My Bedroom (32/200)

Come to My Bedroom

2023.09.01.

Leah had fully recovered in a month. Terrence often visited to check on her condition, and Leah’s heart fluttered every time she saw him.

‘I had a huge misunderstanding.’

It was both amusing and alarming that she had momentarily misunderstood a healthy and virile man in his twenties.

Leah involuntarily blushed, recalling the memory of sleeping naked in his arms in the cabin.

‘No, it’s more like I took advantage of him, thinking he had… a problem,’ she thought, cringing at her past assumptions.

Like shamelessly sleeping in the same bed at Aiden’s villa.

She had proposed a swimming competition to him and wore embarrassing clothes without a second thought to win.

She wanted to sweep up all those memories and throw them into a burning pit. For a while, she avoided Terrence because she was too embarrassed to face him.

Fortunately, he didn’t know the full extent of her misjudgment.

Terrence, also noticing the awkwardness between them after the swimming competition, suggested a small tea party to ease things.

Today, she decided to enjoy tea and snacks with him in the garden to appreciate the last days of autumn.

When she arrived at the antique pergola [a type of garden structure] in the middle of the pond, the servants had already prepared tea and desserts.

“Winter will be here soon, right?”

As Leah said this, tightening her thick shawl, Terrence took off the cloak he was wearing and draped it over her shoulders.

“I’m okay.”

“I need to be okay too.”

“Thank you.”

His cloak had a strong, woody scent. It was a fragrance that suited him very well.

But people’s hearts are so fickle. In the past, she pitied Terrence and didn’t have any reservations.

However, after learning that he was perfectly healthy, she became cautious in everything.

In addition, she was relieved. Such a tragedy would have been too harsh for him.

“People should never overestimate their abilities.”

He took a sip of black tea and smiled mischievously.

It seemed he was referring to the swimming competition. Leah kept drinking tea and looking around.

‘Is there a mouse hole I can disappear into?’

She was trying to subtly move on, but he’d ruined it.

“It’s not a lie. I really know how to swim. But my physical condition suddenly worsened that day.”

“I don’t think it’s a lie. I could tell by Grace’s posture when she jumped into the water.”

“Yes?”

“You weren’t afraid of the water. That’s not the attitude of someone who can’t swim.”

Really, it was a relief. Leah almost cried because he acknowledged it.

In fact, she was so ashamed that she felt like a woman who only bluffed without knowing how to swim.

“I hate giving up, saying I can’t do it or it’s impossible.”

At Leah’s words, Terrence just kept looking at her.

The reason he fell in love with Grace was because of this mindset.

He loved the way she tried to do anything and struggled.

She wouldn’t know it, but Grace’s attitude of always thinking and trying to improve gave him so much energy.

“Well, then we have to settle the score now, right?”

“Pfft!”

Leah spat out her tea at Terrence’s words.

Fortunately, he handed her a handkerchief as if he had been waiting, so she didn’t make a complete mess.

She was just trying to gloss over it, but was that really impossible?

“Settle the score?”

Leah deliberately pretended not to know.

“Didn’t the person who requested the duel set a condition?”

“Ah, that.”

“Surely, you’re not trying to cowardly avoid it, are you?”

“Me? There’s no way.”

‘Oh, I want to avoid it if I can.’

This is a disaster. From now on, it will be difficult to act without caution around Terrence. Will he become a beast and try to devour me this time? I’m not ready yet.

“Tomorrow night. Come to my bedroom.”

“Pfft!”

She was so surprised that she spat out her tea again.

“Why? You slept so well even in a narrow bed at Aiden’s villa.”

‘That’s because I thought you were impotent.’

If she had known he was a beast full of lust, would she have been so fearless? It would have been better to remain ignorant.

“Okay, I’ll go to Terrence’s bedroom tomorrow night. A promise is a promise.”

Leah spoke quite confidently, unlike her racing heart.

“Grace, let me ask you one thing.”

“Please do.”

“Do you have any intention of marrying me?”

“Yes?”

Leah was momentarily speechless at Terrence’s serious tone and expression.

He was always a person who had already made up his mind. She also knew that it was almost impossible to escape him.

But why is he suddenly asking for my opinion?

In fact, Leah wanted to ask herself: Did she want to marry Terrence?

‘I wanted to, but now I’m scared.’

She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Leah knew too well the real reason why she was afraid of him. She had decided to marry him with the cowardly intention of taking advantage of his perceived… condition.

If it was a political marriage, there was no reason to avoid it. Terrence would be a strong ally to her. But now her heart was complicated.

‘What if I love you?’

She swore she would never fall in love. But she was gradually falling for Terrence. Unlike her strong will, her emotions always betrayed her.

“I don’t know.”

Terrence’s eyes flickered anxiously.

Why was Grace hesitating to marry him? She was always a woman who wanted to get married. Has even that changed?

“Is that a rejection?”

“It’s not that… I don’t know if I’m qualified to be Terrence’s wife. If it’s because of a sense of debt to my brother, I want to refuse.”

“No.”

His answer was quite firm. It was as if he was drawing a line.

To be honest, even when he was engaged to Grace, he thought he had to take responsibility for his guilt towards Aiden.

But now, he wanted Grace regardless of Aiden.

But she was like a dove that would fly away to the distant sky if he opened the cage.

“As I said before, only I am in your heart. And make sure you love me.”

‘I’m not in a position to afford love or marriage.’

Leah’s worries deepened.

Grace would want to marry Terrence. Since it wasn’t her body, she couldn’t ignore Grace’s long-held wish.

If she couldn’t marry him, she didn’t know when her soul, asleep inside her, would pop out again.

“I will… marry you.”

His hardened face melted away at Leah’s answer.

“But, there’s a condition.”

“Tell me.”

“Doing business…”

“I’ll help you.”

“Yes?”

“Because I like Grace who dreams and works hard much better. But don’t come forward publicly.”

‘Tch! So that’s why you deleted my face from the photo?’

Terrence was dead set against making money by putting Grace’s face forward.

It wasn’t because of the nobility’s honor or face; he just didn’t want everyone to know her existence.

He was horrified at the thought of newspapers with Grace’s face on them spreading throughout the country. So he boldly erased her face from the photo.

“I’ll try. But there may be situations where I have to come forward.”

“I’ll do it.”

Leah’s heart swelled. She thought he would object to the newspaper advertisement and tell her to stop the business. But he was actively helping her.

“Thank you, Terrence.”

“I want to hear something other than thank you.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh, my!”

Terrence shook his head, covering his forehead with his hand.

He wanted to hear ‘I love you,’ but had he ever seen such an oblivious woman?

Terrence gave a self-deprecating smile. It seemed that making progress in a romantic relationship with Grace would not be easy.

“It’s okay, starting tomorrow night, our relationship will be clear.”

Leah forced a smile and swallowed hard.

‘Tomorrow, I’m going to be a rabbit eaten by that black panther?’

She was scared but also excited. She hated this contradictory feeling, but her body was very honest. So her heart would be pounding.

After all, humans were not satisfied with just spiritual love.

No matter how much she tried to push Terrence away, her heart was running towards him. Scary enough.

“Grace, I have something to give you.”

Terrence put his hand inside his coat and took out two square objects.

They were about the size of a small hand mirror, and ornate patterns were engraved in relief on pure gold. It looked like a mirror or a small notebook.

“Is it a mirror?”

“Open it.”

Leah opened the lid of the object he handed her with a curious face.

“Oh my! Is it a photo album?”

Inside, which was opened in half, were photos taken with Terrence and his solo photos. Conversely, Terrence’s had the same photos taken together, but Grace’s photo was stuck in the glass.

It wasn’t big, so she could always carry it in her arms. She didn’t know, but the initials ‘T&G’ were engraved on the outside of the small photo album.

‘Terrence and Grace.’

Leah liked his surprise gift.

* * *

Libet had been coming to Allen’s company for days.

“Brother, I really need that lace shawl sold at Hamilton’s Haberdashery.”

“I told you to stop talking nonsense, didn’t I?”

Allen was annoyed by his sister, who was scratching his nerves without knowing his feelings. Hamilton’s Haberdashery in Galdenia had been transferred to Terrence’s name and was operating normally without changing its name.

‘That damn Hamilton’s Haberdashery, just hearing the name makes me annoyed.’

He had to buy the haberdashery back and get rid of it to be satisfied. He couldn’t stand it anymore because it was getting on his nerves.

But these days, when he passed by the haberdashery, he was frustrated by the ridiculous sight.

The women of the capital were lining up in front of the haberdashery from morning.

When he found out, the ‘Chenel Lace Shawl’ sold at Hamilton’s Haberdashery No. 1 in Lubeck had been a huge hit recently.

Because of that, the women of Galdenia were also lining up to place pre-orders.

“I need that shawl for the Crown Princess Selection Party.”

“I’ll find you the best boutique, so stop talking nonsense.”

“No boutique can make that kind of lace. I want to make a dress with that lace.”

“Okay, so stay home for now.”

It was unfair that he had been defeated by Terrence, and now he had to hear about Hamilton’s Haberdashery from Libet.

Allen almost chased Libet out. Just then, his secretary came into the office.